BRADFORD'S Coral Batey has qualified for the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

The 21-year-old, who was the only female in the squad of 15, helped Great Britain win the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation's (IWRF) European Championship in Finland.

They defeated fellow pool winners Germany in the semi-finals in Pajulahti before beating holders Sweden 49-48 in the final.

The next challenge for the newly-crowned champions is the BT World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge on October 12-16 at the Copper Box in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

There they will face 2012 Paralympic gold medallists Australia, silver medallists Canada and bronze medallists the United States.

Coral said: "Winning the European gold medal is a great achievement for the squad.

"We're now going to focus on bringing back a medal at Rio and are looking forward to the BT World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge, where we'll be playing against the top teams in the world."

Her comments were backed up by 25-year-old Ayaz Bhuta, who scored 13 of their Euro goals, despite having Roberts Syndrome, which limits the growth of limbs.

Ayaz, who is only 3ft 7in and weighs 42wkg, said: “It feels great to be the champions of Europe – we have worked hard for this but it is only a step on our journey to win a medal in Rio."

Performance director Lorraine Brown added: “Reaching the European finals has been a key goal in the performance plan of the squad this year.

"Our success means we can now focus our attention on Rio and further honing the skills of the squad. Next on our list is to medal at the Copper Box.”